Saved Wings
by Lyrics Amidala
Summary: Castiel didn't know how Alistair knew the incantation that revealed his wings. He only knew the consequences would be disastrous. Set during "Heaven and Hell", during the fight where Dean saves Castiel's life.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural. Curse Kripke and the lot of them! So, I've been on a rewatch Supernatural kick while waiting for 9B to come out, and I was watching the episode where Anna discovers she's an angel and all hell breaks loose and shit. So, I noticed the weird incantation Alistair was saying, which was NOT the incantation to send angels back to Heaven, and how scared Castiel seemed. And I've been obsessed with wings lately, so this was born. Read! Review! Enjoy *Balthazar voice* you bastards. **

Castiel knew he was out of his depth, fighting Alistair. Yes he was an angel, yes he was centuries old, and yes he was powerful, but he was no match for Hell's master torturer. And of course, Castiel wouldn't lie. Alistair had taken him captive sometime during the Spanish Inquisition, and the memory still haunted him to this day. But the demon couldn't be allowed to take Anna, nor could he be allowed to harm the Winchesters. But Alistair was strong, and angry, thanks to Uriel's insults. He would have to rectify Uriel's attitude, Castiel thought absentmindedly while throwing punches to the demon. But it was a futile effort. Soon, Alistair had him knocked on the ground, his hand around his throat. Castiel felt Jimmy's blood running from his temple down his face, sticking to Jimmy's dark hair. _Forgive me, _Castiel thought. To him, damaging the vessel he inhabited was the worst possible thing he could do. Jimmy had given his consent, and Castiel, getting himself beaten as he was, was flaunting Jimmy's sacrifice in his face. Because however much Dean taunted him and berated him for having no heart, Castiel knew that Jimmy had sacrificed much to become Castiel's vessel. He had given up his family and his home, and Castiel was thankful. Castiel wrapped his hands around Alistair's fist, trying to shove him off, but the demon was having none of it.

"Potestas infirma," he chanted, the Latin rolling oddly off his tongue. "Me confirma." Castiel's blue eyes –well, Jimmy's blue eyes- widened in fear. No. Where had he learned that incantation? How had he learned that incantation? "Potestas infirma," Alistair snarled again. "Me confirma." Castiel fought against the powerful words, desperation now creeping into his veins. He would not, _could not _allow Alistair to win this. He could not weaken himself to that level; leave himself vulnerable in such a way. "Potestas infirma, me confirma." NO! Castiel felt his grip slacken, as if being forced away by Alistair's more powerful will. No, this would not happen! Alistair would not! "Potestas infirma-" The chant of doom was broken off as Dean swung a crowbar at Alistair's head, knocking him away. Castiel sucked in lungfuls of air, not because he needed it, but out of pure and simple relief. He gazed up at Dean, hoping that his thankfulness, his gratefulness was shown in Jimmy's eyes. Probably not, because Dean, being human, couldn't understand the subtleties of an angel's emotions. Nor could he understand the gravity of the scenario he had rescued Castiel from. Dean did not know, would not know, could not know, that the spell Alistair had been attempting would have forced Castiel to show his wings. The severity of the situation that would have put Castiel in could not be understated. Already, allowing the wings to be free would take up an extraordinary amount of strength. But even worse, his wings were his weakest points. Yes, they enabled him to fly, put a mere scratch of an angel blade upon an angel's wing would hurt like hellfire. And Alistair, somehow, had found out how to force an angel's wings into apparition, and would have hacked and sliced and carved at the fragile sinew and muscle and tissue and feathers until Castiel was a bleeding, screaming mess shivering uncontrollably from the pure and undiluted _agony _of his wings being tortured. To beat upon an angel using the wings as a weak point was a sign of weakness, of utter humiliation. Only the lowest of prisoners would be subjected to that in Heaven's prison. Castiel knew he had been saved from something truly and utterly horrible, and, although Dean Winchester did not know it, Castiel, angel of the Lord, was officially in his debt.


End file.
